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Friday, February 16, 2007

I was quite surprised this week to be tagged not once but twice for a wonderful honor.

David Parker over at Another History Blog tagged me first for a Thinking Blogger Award. He said all of the blogs he nominated including History is Elementary offer different perspectives on history or the academic life, always with a very human perspective (which reminds me that there’s more to life than history/academic life).

Today I was tagged again by Marc over at Spinning Clio. Marc said in his nominating post :

I love reading the pedagogical insights from this Georgia teacher on such things like the French and Indian War orDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (and here). Other than early medieval stuff, I also have a special interest in American History from Colonial times through the Early Republic and she posts quite a bit about these topics, including a whole bunch on the American Revolution. Finally, her Wordless Wednesday postings feature images of just about anything, most with some historical link. But you've gotta guess!

Gentlemen, you have no idea how much your honor means to me. I am amazed that I stimulate you academic types to “think”, however, as an educator that is my job, isn’t it?

I appreciate your nod more than you could know.

So, now according to the rules, I have to nominate five bloggers whose postings make me think. Hmmmmm……Here’s my list in no particular ranking order.

1. Bibliodyssey Everytime I view the fantastic images at this site I rack my brain trying to think about how I could use them with my students. The images are simply breathtaking and priceless. I appreciate the time it takes Bibliodyssey’s creator to put this blog…….no, actually it’s a piece of art….together.

2. CaliforniaTeacherGuy Everytime I vent or get a little snarky about my profession on my site I visit this wonderful man and he convicts me with his thoughts on teaching and children. I usually slink away with my tail between legs feeling guilty for my ranting and raving. This man really makes me think about what the word “priority” means in education.

3. From the Trenches of Public Education Dennis Fermoyle is my hero! I am quite sure if he and I taught in the same building he would be my mentor and we would have a fantastic time planning engaging activities for our young people to experience history. Dennis makes me think. Even though we agree 99% of the time he makes me confront an issue and I often have to leave his site and ponder over it a couple of days before I can return to post a comment. He is also my muse as he often fires me up about subject and what I end up wanting to say is too long to post a comment with.

4. Shrewdness of Apes Ms. Cornelius makes all of us think about school issues, current events, and life in general. She’s a prolific blogger and never holds back. You don’t leave her site and wonder, “What’s she really thinking?” I’d love to get in trouble with her during a mind numbing faculty meeting.

5. Weekly Scheiss Mamacita always makes me think about real life away from the classroom, and she reminds me that there is a lighter side to all of the heaviness of my profession.

Okay you five people who make me “think”….tag, your it! Now you have the right to place the thinking button your site and you need to post a list of 5 who make you think. Don’t forget the rules.

EHT, I am humbled by your tag. I promise to respond appropriately, probably on Saturday. I was on the road most of today and am now in Arizona, with my brain not a little scrambled from the grueling time on the freeway. Thank you for your kind words--and good night!

Sometimes, when students smuggle vodka into class disguised as bottled water, the school where I teach bears a strong resemblance to a pub. So, I guess we could meet at my PUBlic school! Y'all come on over!

I'm with you on California Teacher Guy as an awesome blogger, full of "humble" and wisdom. Who doesn't tell everyone his blog is in the new NEA edition? Him, that's who. He just waits for us to find out on our own. And, when some of throw out their edition without even perusing it, they feel quite chagrined...However, I also enjoy your blog very, very much.

At the risk of coming across as lame or worse, elitist, although I'm always thankful for kind words and the internet currency of links, I am, by virtue of the enormous amounts of time/energy devoted to my site, something akin to a 'loner'.

I mean no disrespect at all but I kind of don't really think of my site as a blog. I doubt many would argue. So although there may be the odd joke in the post and some occasional banter in the comments, I really try to keep the pages free of 'peripheral' blogworld engagement except as it relates to what's being posted. Obviously my tastes and my opinions (to hopefully only a minor extent) as 'curator' are rendered for all to see; but despite being neither an historian or a teacher, I've just developed this belief in keeping a particularly 'straight' site ambience, for want of a better expression. I hope most of the entries remain relevant as reference material in a year or two or three or ... more.

Doth I protesteth too much? Mebbe.

I don't get to read 1/10th of what I'd really like. And additionally, I would have a front page twice its current size if I tried to link to everyone who's ever linked me.

So thank you. I do very much appreciate your comment, honestly. It's those pats on the back that keep me going and nevermind the dripfeed that is googleads. Cheers!